Skittish Cat - What Can You Do About It?

You love cats and you have always wanted one. Recently, you adopted a cat, but it seems to be very skittish. Bonding with a skittish cat might be a bit challenging and you might be wondering why your cat is so scared and panicky. There could be a wide variety of reasons why you have a scared or shy cat. Learning more about the reasons why a cat might be skittish will allow you to figure out what to do about it.

Reasons Some Cats Are So Skittish

Generally, a cat is going to be skittish if they have had negative experiences earlier on in their life. For instance, if a cat experienced trauma earlier in their life, they might not trust when humans come close to them. Other cats are predisposed to being scared. In this instance, the cat may take a while to learn how to be calm and to trust in their environment.

If your cat is skittish in a new home, it may need some time to get used to you and time to settle into their new home. If you calmly get close to your cat and slide them treats or toys, within a matter of days or weeks, your cat may become less skittish. If you got your cat from a shelter where they didn’t get much attention or if it was a stray, the cat may be scared. They need time to get used to human interactions. Don’t force this upon them. Give them time to get used to your home first and then slowly interact with them for just a little bit at a time.

If you continue doing this, the cat should become less fearful of you and their surroundings. If you have other animals in the home or even young children, your cat may be scared of them, as well. It is important to teach all of your pets to be nice to one another. However, this can take some time. In addition, it is important to teach children to move slowly around the cat until they get used to one another. Sick cats often get skittish, too. They may run and hide from the humans who are trying to care for him or her.

If your friendly cat is suddenly skittish, you should schedule a veterinarian appointment to see what is going on. These are some of the reasons why a cat may be skittish. If you have a skittish cat, there are some things you can do to change this.

Helping Your Cat Become Less Skittish

It might seem like you should just let your skittish cat roam around wherever they would like in your home. However, this could overwhelm them. It is best to create a safe, smaller place for them. In this place, you shouldn’t have places where your cat could hide, because that will only teach them to run away when they are scared. In time, you can introduce yourself to the cat. Do this slowly so as to not upset your cat. You can sit in the same room as your cat without touching them to start out.

After a while, you can move a little closer to your cat, so they can see you aren’t going to hurt them. Let your cat smell you without touching him or her. This will allow them to see you are a safe person to be around. If your cat rubs their head or body into your hand, slowly pet them. These are some of the things you can do if your cat has become skittish. Start working with your cat today to help them feel less scared.

Why is my cat so skittish?

There can be different reasons why a cat is acting skittish. This type of behavior is often observed in cats who experienced abuse or trauma earlier in their life. Typically, a cat is skittish because it associates certain places or situations with something negative.

Why are cats skittish?

A lot of cats are skittish due to a number of reasons. Oftentimes, that reason can be as simple as new objects or loud noises. The most common reasons why a cat is skittish includes strange places, unfamiliar smell and home, new pets, and abuse.

Are Siamese cats skittish?

Siamese cats are known to get easily depressed and it's common for this breed to develop mental health issues. If neglected for a period of time, they can become skittish.

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